Phytoseiulus

t

Taxonomy

Diagnostic characters of adult female

• Dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield ca. 0.325–0.345 mm long
• Dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield setae j5 and S5 both absent; j6 long and barbed; R1 barbed and >2x r3.
• Peritrematalperitrematal:
  (peritrematic) of or referring to the peritreme; adjectival form of peritreme.
  shield free from dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield
• Fixed digitfixed digit:
  the distal extension of the middle article of the chelicera; usually bearing teeth and a distal hook and opposed to the movable digit in chelate-dentate forms, but often regressed; in Mesostigmata the fixed digit may bear the pilus dentilis.
  of chelicerachelicera:
  a limb on the presumed first body segment in chelicerate arthropods, the primary mouthparts.  In mites the chelicerae are primitively chelate-dentate, but may be modified into almost unrecognizable forms.  In Acariformes, the chelicerae are usually 2-segmented, but in other mites and some basal acariforms they have three segments.  Rarely, in some Uropodoidea (Mesostigmata), a subdivision makes them appear 4-segmented.
  relatively short and with only 3 teeth
• Calyxcalyx:
  (= cervix) in phytoseioid Mesostigmata (Phytoseiidae, Blattisociidae, Otopheidomenidae, Podocinidae), a collar-like structure of the sperm access system which surrounds the base of the vesicle.
  of spermathecaspermatheca:
  a structure in the female for storing sperm, typically sac-like.
  subtubular, taperingtapering:
  drawn out or with margins converging.
  gradually from vesiclevesicle:
  in phytoseioid Mesostigmata (Phytoseiidae, Blattisociidae, Otopheidomenidae), a sack-like structure supported by the calyz where endospermatophores can often be seen.
  
• Sternal shieldsternal shield:
  a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
  with 2 pairs of setae; st3 and st4 both on small platelets
• Anal opening on anal shield with 3 setae
• Setae JV2 and JV4 in soft cuticle
• Genugenu:
  (pl. genua) (= patella) the 4th leg segment, between the femur and tibia.
  IV without macrosetae; macroseta on basitarsusbasitarsus:
  a basal subdivision of the tarsus.
  IV simplesimple:
  unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
  (ca. 0.110 mm long)

Similar species

Other species of Phytoseiulus have a sternal shieldsternal shield:
a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
with 3 pairs of setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
(st1–2) and have dorsaldorsal:
relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
shield setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
j5 and S5.

Ecology and distribution

Phytoseiulus longipes is the most morphologically aberrant member of the genus. It was described from southern Africa and is also known from southern South America.

References

• Evans 1958Evans 1958:
  Evans GO. 1958. A new mite of the genus Phytoseiulus Evans (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) from Southern Rhodesia. Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa 21: 306-308.
• Takahashi and Chant 1993Takahashi and Chant 1993:
  Takahashi F and Chant DA. 1993. Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Phytoseiulus Evans (Acari: Phytoseiidae). II. Taxonomic Review. International Journal of Acarology 19: 23-37.